And today's woodland wedding at Inshriach for Lucy and Will from London. Family and friends formed a circle of love in a grassy bowl where we assembled awaiting Lucy's arrival. The midges weren't too bad, as we all sprayed liberal applications of insect repellent ! - the air was positively fragrant with all the herbal concoctions on offer. Will looked a little nervous as he waited for Lucy...then gasped as she appeared, a vision indeed in her gorgeous and elaborate gold lace dress. The met on a dating site you know...
They read deeply personal and moving vows to each other which they'd composed themselves, toasted each other with the Quaich - a rare Speyside single malt for Will and apple juice for Lucy, handfasting with their own tartan cord made by Lucy's mum, then they Jumped the Broom to finish with cheers and applause. All in all a super day with a couple so much in love and so right for each other. What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Inshriach - 200 acres of natural woodland and pasture bordered on the north by the river Spey and to the south by the foothills of the Cairngorms. Inshriach House itself is an Edwardian design country home, built in 1906 by the Blacks (of the Glasgow publishing family) as a shooting lodge - and history buffs will be in their element. Original central heating, deep cast-iron baths, loos with wooden seats, a 1920s squash court, a galleried landing with a cupola and a large conservatory with a bed for lounging. Bedrooms have been updated, Mrs Black's Room is rather posh, the twin is called the Nursery, all have lovely views and their bell-pulls intact. Sadly the servants do not arrive, but you can have a chef with a waitress if you want to be cooked for. The kitchen has a big pine table, a cosy Aga, pots and pans and stylish retro touches, and a scullery area for washing up. Nooks and crannies abound, the trout loch is stocked, you can fish on the Spey, stalk, shoot, bike, mountaineer. Delightfully bohemian. bohemian wedding dresses